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Board Chairman at Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Hon. Hackman Owusu Agyeman says GHc 1.8Bn cannot be traced from the accounts of the state-controlled institution.

Responding to issues raised by the Minority at their press conference in the Western Region, he eplained that the erstwhile administration which expended the funds before leaving office, failed to properly account for what the money was used for specifically, adding that they had to borrow additional 3million Ghana Cedis from commercial bank before Cocobod could settle its indebtedness to farmers this season.

The Minority in Parliament, on Monday accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, of neglecting cocoa farmers in Ghana.

Member of Parliament for Bodi in the Western Region, Hon. Sampson Ahi in an interview with Okayfm explained that from the cancellation of some road projects, challenges with cocoa mass spraying exercise, and replacement of free fertilizers with subsidized ones, it is evident government is short-changing cocoa farmers.

On 21st June 2017, the Minority in Parliament held a similar press conference and drew the attention of the NPP Government to the fact that, the Ghanaian Cocoa farmer had indirectly paid for the fertilizers procured for the 2016/17 season, and therefore selling same to them amounts to broad day light robbery.

"It is also sad to note that no provision was made for cocoa roads in the COCOBOD budget for 2017/18. This means that the cocoa roads which are deteriorating faster than anticipated due to the neglect of the NPP government, is going to get worse, making users (mostly farmers) wretchedly despondent and low-spirited to continue to labour for our dear nation, meanwhile they have also cancelled all cocoa road contracts which were started by our administration," he said.

He also challenged government to come clean on how much has been accrued so far from the cocoa stabilization fund.

".....in Ghana, cocoa farmers are paid in kind and in cash, and by replacing the free fertilizer with a subsidized system, the NPP would inflict untold hardships on the cocoa farmer,” he added.

But in a quick riposte on OkayFM’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show, Hackman Owusu Agyeman described the Minority's press conference as the effusions of a confused person. He wondered the moral right of the NDC to even address Ghanaians on matters relating to cocoa farmers.

"They are just doing their usual politics and propaganda with cocoa issues...The kind of rot they left at cocobod is unimaginable....it stinks. Some 34 contracts which were paid for by the NDC government does not exist in the books of the Cocobod....

“We will soon publish every information we have about the rot that was perpetrated by the NDC government at cocoa board", he added

Currently, he said, investigations are being carried out by EOCO and the CID, and when they are done, "we will make the findings public".